Hotel Sunstar Wengen

My wife and I have been returning to the Sunstar Hotel for some years, both to ski in the winter, and walk in the summer. We always have a great welcome from the Manager Oliver and his wife. They cannot do enough for us to ensure that we have a happy holiday. This year we were joined by my three sons and their six children. I was therefore very pleased with the way the Hotel put on entertainment most evenings after dinner. The Hotel has a very good wellness centre with a good sized pool set at the comfortable temperature which proved a success for my 4 year old granddaughter. The food is excellent in the restaurant. The Hotel also does pizzas on request and will deliver to the rooms if required. The Hotel is just across the street from the Cable Car which gives access to a large ski area, and walking paths. The rooms in the Sunstar are best on the side facing the valley where they catch the afternoon sun.

We stayed in the Sunstar during a last minute half term skiing holiday. Wengen as ever was beautiful and I couldn’t recommend staying here enough, especially if the snow is good. The Sunstar is a reasonable place to stay though it is by no means luxurious. I’d think about it if travelling with a group of children. The rooms are somewhat dated and the valley view is not worth paying extra for as it does not take in the Jungfrau. Bathrooms were clean and functional but no different to say an Ibis or Premier inn. The reception staff were helpful in sorting out the usual minor issues but it seems petty to be charging endless deposits for adapters to use in plug sockets which are of an old style so don’t fit usual European sizing. The swimming pool is very nice and to be recommended. Sadly, the food is well below what you’d expect. Virtually every meal sticks to the same formula- salad, soup, choice of meat (with same sauce and cooked in same way) and desert. The deserts were usually tolerable. My experience of half board in Switzerland has always been very positive with a variety of foods, styles of cooking, types of cuisine and almost invariably a high quality. This was certainly not of a high standard and extremely bland. It was no surprise when on the Swiss buffet night, we encountered two completely disinterested chefs dishing out lacklustre cuts of overcooked meat and fish. Buffet ‘specialties’ from the day before would often feature the subsequent evening. The breakfast was similarly poor. Stale bread. The cheeses from the evening were reused at breakfast. It was essentially a poor self service experience with waiters not making hot drinks and not replenishing items efficiently either. A real disappointment. Another down side, the ski room is absolutely tiny and not fit for purpose with people falling over each other. Half term is of course a busy week but that can bring with it atmosphere. Here the facilities and staff seemed slightly overwhelmed. I think the hotel needs an overhaul but above all else, it needs to improve the dining experience.